Dhe former tournament winner Angelique Kerber, who was one of the favorites for the title, just managed to avert a first-round loss at the US Open. The 33-year-old tennis player from Kiel fought on Monday at the Grand Slam tournament in New York Dajana Jastremska from Ukraine after losing the first set in 2:25 hours with 3: 6, 6: 4, 7: 6 (7: 3) down.
Kerber won the title in Flushing Meadows in 2016, this year she is one of the favorites for the title based on her latest results. The winner of three Grand Slam tournaments is now facing another Ukrainian in Anhelina Kalinina.
Perfect German start
“It was actually incredibly difficult,” said Kerber on the TV channel Eurosport. “When I saw the draw, I knew what to expect. Today I won through my head and my fight and by fighting to the end. “
Kerber’s Fed Cup colleague Andrea Petkovic and the German men ensured a perfect German start. The over-30 veterans Philipp Kohlschreiber and Peter Gojowczyk won matches over five sets against higher-rated opponents. Petkovic prevailed against Irina-Camelia Begu from Romania 6: 2, 7: 6 (7: 3). The 33-year-old from Darmstadt is now facing ex-Wimbledon winner Garbiñe Muguruza from Spain.
Kohlschreiber won a duel between the old masters and the Croatian Marin Cilic. The 37-year-old Augsburg profited against the 32-year-old former tournament winner with a score of 6: 7 (4: 7), 6: 7 (3: 7), 6: 2, 6: 1, 2: 0 from the injury-related abandonment of his Counterparties. Cilic had won the US Open in 2014 and was seeded at number 30 that year. Kohlschreiber now meets Michail Kukuschkin from Kazakhstan or the Spaniard Pablo Andujar.
Philipp Kohlschreiber in the match against the Croatian Marin Cilic
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Image: AFP
“Lucky for me, bad luck for him,” said Kohlschreiber, commenting on his progress and also referred to the humid temperatures that apparently made his opponent to create. Nevertheless, the Augsburg resident, who lives in Kitzbühel, was satisfied with his appearance. “It was a deserved victory,” said Kohlschreiber. “Now I have to pull out the positive things and take them to the next round.”
Thrill at the start of the tournament
Gojowczyk from Munich also advanced with a five-set win. The 32-year-old defeated the 23 seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert 1: 6, 6: 1, 6: 2, 5: 7, 6: 4 and now meets the Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
Kerber also provided plenty of thrills. Before the start of the tournament, Boris Becker, among others, had traded her as a co-favorite for the title – which she rejected far from herself. Kerber played strong recently, won the title in Bad Homburg and reached the semifinals in Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
At first she had difficulties against the ruthless and aggressive Jastremska and could hardly find a remedy. “It takes a lot,” said Kerber later. But despite being behind in the third set, she fought her way back and finally decided the tiebreaker with nervousness.
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